Pride and Prejudice
by Dommi-chan
Summary: In which, Richie comes out and decides to go to Pride. And also, Virgil is a clueless moron. Obviously not to be taken seriously.


Title: Pride and Prejudice

Series: Static Shock (I've been into this show for like a day and already with the fic...wow.)

Rating: PG-ish I guess, for some naughty words. Also, Dykes on Bikes. (You think I'm joking.)

Summary: In which, Richie comes out and decides to go to Pride. And also, Virgil is too dumb to realize what the hell is going on. Also, not Virgil/Richie slash. (Not that I'm adverse to it…just…not this time.) Richie gets...someone else. ;; Oh, and it's dumb.

Disclaimers: Well, first, I apologize for the shitty pun in the title. Secondly, there is no prejudice in this story, as it's light-hearted. Oh, and everyone you recognize belongs to DC/Milestone, Time/Warner, Dwayne McDuffie, and lots of people. See how none of them are named Dommi? Also, spot the _L Word_ cameo. There's one OC, but they have, like, two lines. Richie is Gear in this, and also Mr. Hawkins knows about the boys.

Spawned by the quote by Dwayne McDuffie (guy who created the characters and head writer for the show) found here: "It'll never come up since the show is Y7, but as far as I'm concerned, Richie is gay." And his answer to the question of Virgil knowing or not: "Not yet." So no getting pissy with me for supposedly making a straight kid gay. I'm not responsible for that...at least in this fandom, anyways.

-----

It was a beautiful late spring Thursday in Dakota, the kind where even the metahuman criminals decide to sit back and enjoy the weather rather than committing horrible acts of crime.

Inside the Gas Station of Solitude, one Virgil Hawkins a.k.a. Static and one Richie Foley a.k.a. Gear were enjoying their afternoon as well.

"So, Richie, what are we doing this weekend? Swimming? Going to the movies? Swimming while going to the movies? Watching movies while going swimming?" Virgil sat on the couch's arm, kicking his legs back and forth as he talked his friend's ear off.

"Uh…well, actually…" Richie looked up from his PSP. "I'm kinda going to that thing on Saturday downtown. It's probably going to last all day and night."

"There's a thing? What thing?" Virgil hadn't heard about this...it sounded cool.

"It's that, you know, party...type...thing. With people. And a parade." Richie put the game down, a weird look on his face. He fidgeted nervously.

"Well, that sounds like a plan!" Virgil offhandedly started wondering what to wear. An all day party...awesome!

"You…you want to go?" Richie blinked a few times.

"Well, yeah. You definitely know that I'm not gonna let you party down without me there. It's what best friends are for."

Richie smiled. "Thanks, V. I shoulda known that you'd be cool about all of this." He surprised Virgil with a hug.

"Uh…sure. No problem." Virgil patted his friend on the back, not quite sure what exactly he was cool with, and stole the PSP.

"Dude. I take it back. That's not cool at all."

-----

_The next day at school…_

"Hey Richie! Hey Virgil!" Frieda walked up to the boys after history, a big smile on her face.

"Hey Frieda. What's up?"

"Why is it only fifth period? I so want it to be the weekend…it's going to be a big one, right, Richie?"

Richie's voice was muffled, as he was busy putting his books into his locker. "Yeah, I guess. I've never been before, but it sounds like it'll be pretty exciting."

"You know, Jesse's marching in the parade, too. You guys should meet up or something."

There was a loud bang as Richie apparently hit his head on his locker. "Jesse? Jesse Dawson? Really?" He rubbed his scalp with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Marching?" Virgil furrowed his brows. "I thought you were just going to the party."

"I haven't decided yet." Richie looked back to Frieda. "Jesse Dawson?"

"Yeah. Here's his phone number." She winked as she handed him a piece of paper. "He said you should call him," she sing-songed with a grin on her face.

For some reason, Richie blushed at this. "I…think I will."

Frieda grinned as she started to run off. "Good! Well, I gotta jet. Mrs. Polewczak will kill me if I'm late again. By the way, Virgil, it's really cool of you to go. We all kinda sold you short, I guess, thinking you'd be too uncomfortable or something. See you later!"

Virgil smiled and nodded, wondering what she meant. Shrugging, he just said "Man, I didn't know that everyone was going to this. Sounds like a happening event. What all are people doing?"

Still blushing, Richie was staring at the phone number in his hands with a silly smile on his face. Eventually, he realized Virgil was talking to him. "Do what now?"

Virgil clucked his tongue impatiently. "The big thing on Saturday that apparently everyone at school knows about? What's going on with it?"

Richie shrugged. "It's just the normal stuff for this kind of thing. There's partying, and a parade that people march in, plus some…other events. Speeches and some other stuff, like a White Party. It's really not a huge deal, although Daisy and Frieda said they'd go before I mentioned it to you. For moral support or whatever."

Moral support? For a party? Kinda weird, but whatever. "Sounds cool. Should I bring something?"

Richie shrugged. "Just yourself, I guess, and money for like food and stuff."

"Word." Virgil looked around, and then lowered his voice. "Are we patrolling tonight, bro?"

"Yeah, but if anyone asks, you didn't see me. Dad's been kinda a jerk ever since I told him and Mom about me and the weekend and everything. He keeps making all of these comments every time I say you and I are hanging out."

Virgil nodded. Richie's dad sure could be a jerk sometimes. "Say no more." He thought for a minute. "So…about that history project…"

Richie rolled his eyes and jokingly shoved him into the wall.

-----

_That evening at the Hawkins home…_

"Hey, Virgil! Not going out tonight?" Robert Hawkins sat next to his son on the couch, a smile on his face.

Virgil looked up from his magazine. "In a bit. Waiting for Richie to show up." Virgil put the magazine down all together. Speaking of… "Pops, is it cool if I go to this thing with Richie this weekend?"

Mr. Hawkins glanced sideways at his son. "Well, that depends on what "this thing" is."

Virgil shrugged. "I don't know. Some big thing downtown. There's some kind of party or parade or something."

Mr. Hawkins raised an eyebrow. "Richie's marching in the Dakota Pride parade?"

Virgil looked perplexed. "Yeah, I guess."

Mr. Hawkins was deep in thought. "Ah, good for him. Although I can't help but wonder how his father took the news."

Virgil blinked a few times. News? "Well, he did say his dad's kind-of been a jerk lately."

"I can imagine." Mr. Hawkins stood up, walking to the kitchen for some coffee. "Go ahead and go with Richie, Virgil. He'll probably need some support; I've heard your first Pride can be a little overwhelming. And you two have a good time."

"Cool. Thanks, Pops!" He checked the time. "Oh, I should probably go change for you-know-what. I'll call at eleven to let you know I'm okay."

Mr. Hawkins nodded, left alone with his thoughts.

So.

Richie Foley was gay.

"Well, that certainly explains a lot."

-----

_Noon the following day…_

"Oh wow, isn't this exciting? Look at all the people!" Daisy exclaimed.

And indeed, the Dakota Pride celebration was full of people. There was loud music playing, people making new friends and catching up with old ones, and lots of color everywhere. Booths, vendors, large groups of people, and some in costume…it was wild.

"Wow this is…I don't think I've ever seen so many people packed into one place." Virgil's eyes were wide as he tried to take in everything. "And there sure are a lot of rainbows everywhere."

Daisy and Frieda looked at Virgil funny. "Well, yeah. I mean, it's the Pride symbol and all."

"Oh, gotcha." Virgil shielded his eyes and looked around the crowd. "Hey I think I see Jesse!"

And he did. A dark-haired boy in sunglasses, a polo shirt, and jeans walked up with a smile on his face.

"Hey guys. Hi, Richie." He smiled extra warmly as the blonde boy, who flushed a little. "Happy Pride!"

"Happy Pride!" Daisy ginned back at him.

"This is great!" Frieda was standing on tiptoe, looking at everything around them. "I think I wanna get a t-shirt."

A shorthaired girl with rainbow wrist cuffs who had been standing nearby

shyly looking at Frieda smiled. "I can show you where to get one, if you want."

"Cool!" Frieda walked off with the other girl, chatting away happily.

"Uh, Frieda…?" Daisy started to call after the girl, then just shook her head. "Never mind. Jesse, how long have you been here?"

"Just got here practically." He pulled out a rainbow bracelet and handed it to Richie. "Here, I got this for you." Richie's smile got wider as he held out his wrist and Jesse gently fastened the bracelet.

Virgil was confused. Why was he letting Jesse put a bracelet on him? And why was Jesse still holding Richie's hand as they talked? The festivities started to pick up a bit, the crowd cheering when "I'm Coming Out" began to play over the speakers.

He looked around more closely. There sure were lots of couples at Pride.

Lots of _same sex_ couples.

As he looked around, he started to pick up on more and more things about this "party." A group of women on motorcycles wearing signs that read "Dykes on Bikes." He saw another group of people wearing purple t-shirts that had PFLAG on them. A group of kids he knew from his dad's job were at a booth labeled "Freeman Community Center GSA."

When the music switched from "I'm Coming Out" to "It's Raining Men," and rather like Saint Paul on the road to Damascus, Virgil Ovid Hawkins had an epiphany.

He also felt like a monumental retard for not putting it all together sooner.

The way Richie had been acting recently also began to make a lot more sense. Especially what he had said about his dad making comments about the two of them always hanging out…holy shit. That meant that Richie's dad thought that they were...crap.

"Uh, Richie? Can…can I talk to you for a second?"

"Huh?" Richie looked up from talking to Jesse. "Oh sure. I'll be right back."

"Take your time." Jesse smiled and he and Daisy kept talking as Virgil and Richie walked out of earshot.

"What's up, V?"

Virgil had an uneasy look on his face. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"That you're…you know…into…" Virgil waved his hands, indicating everything at the parade.

"I'm, uh, pretty sure I did, what with the whole telling you about Pride thing." Richie got the look in his eyes more typically known as the "Gear just had some kind of a grand brainstorm that will save our butts" look. "Wait…you had no clue what Pride was until just now, didn't you?"

"Nope. Although I guess I could have just asked my Pops."

"Your dad knows?" Richie looked very nervous. "And he's uh okay with it?"

"Actually…he seemed really proud of you." Virgil was thoughtful. "So am I, now that I think about it more."

"…Really?"

"Yeah. Takes a lotta courage to do something like this. No wonder they call this thing Pride…you have to have it in yourself to be out in the first place."

"So you're not mad, or weirded out, and are in fact cool with everything. " Richie looked incredibly relieved.

Virgil raised an eyebrow. "Well…that depends."

Richie swallowed apprehensively. "On?"

"Whether or not you're gonna start listening to Streisand." There was a pause as Virgil suddenly got a scared look on his face. "You're not, right?"

"Virgil, I'm gay. I don't suddenly lack taste." Richie looked offended that his friend would even suggest such a thing. "Besides, she quit touring months ago."

"I'm...really disturbed that you know that, Rich."

"Comes with the territory. C'mon, let's get back to everyone else." Richie put his arm around Virgil's shoulders and the two walked back to their friends.

"So, you and Jesse huh? You two going out?"

Richie blushed once more. "We're going to the movies tomorrow."

"Word. You do realize that if he hurts you in anyway Static'll have to pay him a visit, right?"

"Goes without saying, bro."

By the time they had rejoined their friends, Frieda returned with the shorthaired girl and was wearing a blue t-shirt that read "She's my Bitch."

"Hey guys! This is Alice! Alice Pisczeki, this is Virgil and Richie." The girl shook hands with the boys and greetings were exchanged. "She showed me around the festival, and even helped me pick out my cool new shirt!"

Richie and Virgil looked at each other, trying not to laugh. "That's…awesome."

"Hey, the parade's starting!" Daisy pointed to the street. "Let's get a closer view, come on! We don't wanna miss the cast of 'Queer as Folk'!"

"You just think the guy that plays Ben is hot," Frieda rolled her eyes.

"Well, he is." Daisy looked to Jesse and Richie for support. "Right?"

Jesse shrugged. "I'm more of a Justin fan. I like cute blondes." Richie got a silly grin on his face and the two boys held hands.

"Come on! We're missing it!" Daisy grabbed Frieda's hand and the two were running ahead of everyone.

"Shall we? She seems like she might explode if we don't head over." Alice commented dryly as she jogged to keep up with the other girls.

Virgil just laughed and ran too, and they all had a Happy Pride indeed.

Well, until Daisy got motion sickness from riding with one of the Dykes on Bikes. But, that's a story for another time.


End file.
